Portable container for tools



Sept. 5, 1967 C. EDMISSON PORTABLE CONTAINER FOR TOOLS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 23, 1964 J g- INVENTOR.

Chn's Edm/sson TTORNEYS.

Sept. 5, 1967 c. EDMISSON I PORTABLE CONTAINER FOR TOOLS 2 Sheets-Sheet Fi led Dec. 25, 1964 INYENTOR. Chris famlsson United States Patent 3,339,938 PORTABLE CONTAINER FOR TOOLS Chris Edmisson, 414 W. Meyer, Kansas City, Mo. 64113 Filed Dec. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 420,706 3 Claims. (Cl. 28079.3)

This invention relates to tool boxes, and more particularly, to a portable container for maintaining tools conveniently available for use by a mechanic when working at locations remote from his workbench.

Heretofore available tool boxes have been deficient in that they have been of such construction that a mechanic has generally been unable, particularly when working in relatively inaccessible locations such as automobile engine compartments, to have his tools conveniently at hand. It is often necessary for a mechanic to assume a number of awkward body positions while working on an automobile. If the mechanic must leave his place of work to obtain additional and different tools for his work, much of his valuable time is thereby wasted and his efliciency is diminished.

Accordingly, it is the primary object of this invention to provide a tool box of novel construction for holding the tools of a mechanic in ready proximity to his work in hard-to-reach locations.

Another object of the invention and attainable in the achievement of the foregoing object is to provide a selfsupporting tool box configured to hold tools or the like immediately adjacent the open engine compartment of an automobile.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tool container which serves as a portable workbench and may be wheeled into close proximity to the area in which a mechanic is actually engaged in his work.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool box that is adjustable to provide for each manual shifting of the component parts to accommodate various sized vehicles and to permit use of the tool box in connection with work in a variety of locations.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a tool container which may be readily wheeled from one location to another and which is therefore well suited foruse by workmen on mass production assembly lines or similar installations where the workmen may be required to move from place-to-place.

A further object of this invention is to provide in such a tool box novel partition means for holding small items such as sockets or the like in easily accessible locations within the box yet permitting ready removal of the items therefrom.

Yet another highly important object of this invention is the provision, in a single, portable unit, of a' tool box having substantially all of the items usually needed by a mechanic disposed at a single, easily accessible location.

Still another object. of the invention is to provide such a unit wherein the tool retaining compartments may be securely locked to prevent pilfering when the tools are not in use, yet which may be quickly and easily opened to provide access to the tools when needed.

These and other important objects of this invention will be more fully explained or become apparent in the following specification and appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a tool container embodying the principles of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the tool container;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view thereof, the light having been removed for clarity;

FIG. 4 is a view along line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a vertical, cross-sectional view taken along irregular line 5-5 of FIG. 1;

Patented Sept. 5, 1967 FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the tool container with the lid and light removed and showing a tool holder installed on the upper edge of the tool chest;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary, perspective view of the handle showing an extension cord terminal positioned in the cord bracket;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical crosssectional view taken through the tool box and brake, the roller and portions of the brake appearing in elevation with the unlocked position of the brake appearing in dashed lines; and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged, fragmentary, front elevational view of the container showing the brake in its locked posiition, the unlocked position thereof appearing in dashed mes.

A portable tool container embodying the principles of this invention is broadly designated 10 in the drawings and includes a mobile base in the form of a tool box 12 having an upright 14 rigidly mounted proximal one end of box 12 and extending vertically upwardly therefrom and an elongated, horizontally disposed tray in the nature of a tool chest 16 mounted proximal one end of the latter to the upper end of upright 14. Wheel means such as rollers 18 are mounted to the bottom surface of box 12 by a pair of stationary brackets 20 and a pair of rotatable brackets 22 for supporting container 10 yet permitting the rolling of the latter to any desired location.

Box 12 includes a pair of opposed, upwardly extending, outwardly flared side walls 24, a vertical rear wall 26 and an outwardly flared front wall 28. The upper marginal edges of walls 24 terminate in integral, horizontally disposed, inwardly extending flanges 30 while a similar flange (not shown) extends inwardly from front wall 28. A substantially wider flange 32 extends inwardly from rear wall 26 as shown best in FIG. 4.

The normally open top of box comprised of a pair of sections 36 and 38 hinged together along the longitudinal axis of box 12 by an elongated hinge 40. Lid 34 is provided with a peripherally extending upwardly and outwardly disposed flange 42 as shown best in FIGS. 4 and 5. Flange 42 overlies the peripherally extending flanges of the side walls 24 and front wall 28 as Well as the inner margin of flange 32 for maintaining lid 34 in closing relationship on box 12. It will be noted particularly in FIGS. 4 and 5 that the sections 36 and 38 are recessed to provide a retainer for tools, small parts or the like which may be placed on lid 34. An elongated L-shaped bar 44 is received through aligned openings 46 in flange 42 and openings 48 in side walls 24 to provide locking means for tool box 12. To this end, the outer projecting end of bar 44 is provided with a hole 50 extending transversely therethrough and adapted to receive a padlock or the like for retaining bar 44 in place.

Upright 14 includes an elongated, transversely circular tube 52 extending through flange 32 and rigidly secured to wall 26 of box 12 by means such as a bracket 54 as shown in FIG. 5. Tube 52 extends vertically upwardly from box 12 proximal one end of the latter and the upper end of tube 52 is telescoped over one end of a transversely circular, elongated shaft 56 as shown in FIG. 5. An annular clamp 58 circumscribing tube 52 proximal the upper end of the latter and provided with a thumb screw 60 provides means for clamping shaft 56 in predetermined relative positional relationship with respect to tube 52.

Tool chest 16 also includes a pair of opposed, generally 12 is closed by a lid 34 upright, outwardly flared side walls 62, a front wall 64 dimensions to accommodate the chest 16 normally closes the latter and is provided with an L-shaped bar 70 for locking chest 16 in the same manner as explained with respect to bar 44 and tool box 12.

A tube 72 is rigidly secured to rear wall 66 of chest 16 and extends vertically downward through the bottom of the latter proximal one end of the chest 16. The transversely circular tube 72 is telescoped over the upper end of shaft 56 and is clamped to the latter by a clamp 74 which may be identical with clamp 56. It may thus be seen that the tool chest 16 may be raised or lowered with respect to tool box 12 and may also be swung through an arc about the longitudinal axis of upright 14 if desired.

A handle, broadly designated 76, is rigidly secured to the outer surface of wall 66 and mounts a bracket 78 for receiving the irregular terminal 80 of an extension cord as shown best in FIG. 7. Handle 76 is provided to facilitate movement of container 10 on rollers 18 while the bracket 78 aflords ready access to terminal 80 wherein a mechanic may have a source of electrical energy readily available. Provision is made to mount a light 82 on container 10 by means of a U-shaped bracket 84 rigidly secured to the outer surface of the front wall 64 of chest 16 and a similar bracket 85 secured to the front wall 28 of tool box 12 as shown in FIG. 1. An L-shaped support rigidly secured lamp 82 has one leg thereof inserted in bracket 84 for releasably securing the light 82 to container 12. It will be appreciated that support 86 can be inserted in either of the brackets 84 or 85 for disposing light 82 at the most convenient location consistent with the area desired to be illuminated.

Partition means in the nature of an elongated flange 88 in chest 16 is disposed with one longitudinal edge thereof abutting the inner surfaces of the walls of container 16 and projecting inwardly to define an acute angle between the proximal wall and flange 88 as shown best in FIGS. and 6. Flange 88 extends around three sides of the interior of chest 16 to provide a support for small items such as sockets so that the sockets are individually readily accessible and may be removed quickly and easily from the upper surface of flange 88 as will be understood. The inclination of flange 88 enhances the removability of the sockets by virtue of the disposition of the latter on flange 88 with the open ends of the sockets in position to be readily grasped by the fingers.

Side walls 62 and end wall 64 of chest 16 are provided with inturned flanges 90 in the same manner as the flanges on walls 24 and 28 of tool chest 12 and serve to provide a support for a substantially flat tool holder 92 shown best in FIGS. 5 and 6. One marginal edge of holder 92 is bent back upon the latter to provide a groove which complementally receives the flanges on the walls of chest 16 and box 12 to support holder 92 in substantially horizontally extending disposition outwardly from the outer peripheral margins thereof wherein small tools such as screw drivers and the like can be conveniently held by insertion in holes 94 extending through holder 92 as shown in FIG. 6. Holder 92 is readily removable from its position mounted on the flanges of chest 16 or box 12 and can be stored in chest 16 until needed.

Means is provided for releasably securing container in a desired position and includes a brake 96 comprised of an elongated rod 98 extending through openings (not shown) in the inner leg of each of the stationary roller brackets 20 and bent as illustrated to present a foot pedal 100 projecting to the rear of container 10 in disposition to be engaged by the toe when it is desired to operate brake 96. The outer ends 102 of rod 98 are bent so that the latter engage the outer surface of the proximal rollers 18 when brake 96 is in the full line position thereof illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 with pedal 100 disposed downwardly and away from the proximal edge of tool box 12. A counter weight 104 in the nature of a rod or the like is welded to rod 98 in offset relationship from pedal 100 and serves to normally hold brake 96 in the dotted line position thereof illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9. Counterweight 104 may be bent to provide a stop for limiting the swinging movement of brake 96 when pedal 100 is depressed to prevent damage to rollers 18 or bending or rod 98.

In operation container 10 is conveniently rolled to a desired position adjacent the side of an automobile where it can be locked in place merely by depressing pedal 100 to overcome the weight of counterweight 104. The frictional engagement of ends 102 of rod 98 on the outer surfaces of rollers 18 prevents counterweight 104 from rotating the brake to its normally inoperated position and frictionally lock rollers 18 against movement. The tool chest 18 is elevated and swung to any desired position, even to a position overlying the open engine compartment of an automobile. The tools necessary for work by the mechanic in the engine compartment may be stored either within tool chest 16 or temporarily placed on lid 68 so that the operator has the necessary tools conveniently available. When it is required that tools be obtained from within chest 16, it is a simple matter to swing one side or the other of lid 68 about the hinge to remove the tools from chest 16.

If desired, the tools most likely to be needed may be held by holder 92 which is easily slipped over the flanges of the side walls of chest 16. Lamp 82 installed on bracket 84 is available for illuminating the engine compartment and may be plugged into terminal held by bracket 78.

If the mechanic is working beneath the car or at some other elevation substantially lower than chest 16, light 82 may, of course, be inserted in bracket on box 12 for illuminating such work.

It is contemplated that, if desired, some suitable seat could be supported by tool container 10 to provide a convenient support for the mechanic while performing work which does not require him to stand.

Although container 10 has been described particularly for use by a mechanic in connection with work in the open engine compartment of an automobile, it will be readily understood that the use of container 10 is by no means restricted to such operations and can be advantageously used in a wide variety of applications.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A portable container for tools suitable for use in the open engine compartment of an automobile, comprising:

a wheeled base including a tool :box and a vertically disposed tube secured to the box proximal one end of the latter and extending upwardly therefrom;

a horizontally disposed tool chest including a vertically disposed tube secured to the chest proximal one end of the latter and depending therefrom;

a shaft interposed between said tubes, one end of the shaft being in telescoped relationship with the tube secured to the tool box, the other end of the shaft being in telescoped relationship with the tube secured to the tool chest whereby to position said box and said chest in vertically spaced horizontal planes, said tubes each being independently rotatable with respect to said shaft; and

clamp means on each tube for releasably clamping the respective tubes in any predetermined, rotated position with respect to the shaft whereby the chest and the box may be independently swung to any relative positions in their respective horizontal planes within a complete circle about said shaft.

2. A portable container for tools suitable for use in the open engine compartment of automobiles comprising:

an elongated, mobile base including a tool box having a swinga-ble lid, wheel means secured to the box for supporting the latter, and a vertically disposed, transversely circular tube rigidly secured to the base proximal one end of the latter and extending upwardly therefrom;

an elongated, horizontally disposed tray comprising an open top chest having at least one generally upright side wall, a partition in the chest including an elon- 3. A container as set forth in claim 2 wherein is ingated flange having a longitudinal edge abutting t cluded a brake carried by the base and disposed to operinner Surface of the Wall With the flange eXteIldlng ably engage said wheel means for releasably locking said outwardly 1 H1 Said suffaflle t0 define all acute angle wheels against turning for preventing inadvertent movebetween the flange and said wall, and an elongated, ment f the contain transversely circular, vertically disposed tube rigidly secured to the tray and depending therefrom; References Cited an elongated, transversely circular member having one end complementally received in telescoped relatio-n- UNITED STATES PATENTS ship within the tube secured to the tray and the other 1 7 4 45 1 1930 Holder 211 33 end thereof complementally received in telescoped 2,560,059 7/1951 young 2 79 3 X relationship in the tube secured to the base for sup- 2 819 1/1958 Ten/e1. 7 porting the tray in vertically spaced relationship with 3212:748 10/1965 Faurot X respect to the 'base, the shaft being normally free to slip within said tubes to permit manually shifting of the tray with respect to the base; and LEO FRIAGLIA Primary Exammer' clamp means on each tube respectively for releasably BENJAMIN HERSH E i clamping the tubes in any predetermined position with respect to the shaft for holding the tray in any PARSONS, Asslsmnt Exammerselected position thereof with respect to the base. 

1. A PORTABLE CONTAINER FOR TOOLS SUITABLE FOR USE IN THE OPEN ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF AN AUTOMOBILE, COMPRISING: A WHEELED BASE INCLUDING A TOOL BOX AND A VERTICALLY DISPOSED TUBE SECURED TO THE BOX PROXIMAL ONE END OF THE LATTER AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY THEREFROM; A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED TOOL CHEST INCLUDING A VERTICALLY DISPOSED TUBE SECURED TO THE CHEST PROXIMAL ONE END OF THE LATTER AND DEPENDING THEREFROM; A SHAFT INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID TUBES, ONE END OF THE SHAFT BEING IN TELESCOPED RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TUBE SECURED TO THE TOOL BOX, THE OTHER END OF THE SHAFT BEING IN TELESCOPED RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TUBE SECURED TO THE TOOL CHEST WHEREBY TO POSITION SAID BOX AND SAID CHEST IN VERTICALLY SPACED HORIZONTAL PLANES, SAID TUBES EACH BEING INDEPENDENTLY ROTATABLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID SHAFT; AND CLAMP MEANS ON EACH TUBE FOR RELEASABLY CLAMPING THE RESPECTIVE TUBES IN ANY PREDETERMINED, ROTATED POSITION WITH RESPECT TO THE SHAFT WHEREBY THE CHEST AND 